Bicycle-sharing systems in selected places
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Information Note
Bicycle-sharing systems in
Research Office selected places
Legislative Council Secretariat
IN02/18-19
1. Introduction
1.1 Bicycle-sharing has developed rapidly around the world in recent
years, particularly after the launch of the third generation system 1 which
leverages the use of information technology to enable bicycle rental at a
network of unmanned locations for a fee or free of charge. 2 Many of
shared bicycles today are equipped with enabling technologies, such as
Global Positioning System ("GPS"), to track the bicycles' locations and provide
real-time bicycle availability information on the Internet. Users can pay
rental fees with their credit/debit cards or through smartphone applications.
1.2 Bicycle-sharing systems come in two main forms: docked and
dockless. A docked bicycle-sharing system comprises secure docking areas at
designated on-street docking stations or kiosks across the service network.
Users can pick up and drop off their bicycles at any of these docking
stations/kiosks. In contrast, a dockless bicycle-sharing system does not
require any docking stations/kiosks. It works with riders using their
smartphones to open a relevant application to locate the nearest available
dockless bicycle and then scan the Quick Response ("QR") code on the bicycle
to unlock it. At the end of the journey, users can just leave their bicycles
anywhere convenient and lock them up manually.
1
There are three generations of bicycle-sharing system. The first generation began in 1965 in
Amsterdam where bicycles without locks were provided for free public use. Then in 1995, the
first large-scale second generation was born in Copenhagen and the shared bicycles could be
picked up and returned at specific locations with a coin deposit system. The third generation
started in the late 1990s making use of information technology to rent and return bicycles.
See Feng (2013).
2
Also lending support was the scale and success of Vélib in Paris which inspired the creation of
bicycle-sharing systems throughout the world. Launched in 2007, Vélib is a large-scale public
bicycle-sharing programme which signs up more than 250 000 users taking advantage of some
20 000 bicycles around Paris.1.3 There are a number of benefits of bicycle-sharing system. These
include: (a) providing the first and last mile transit connectivity 3; (b) offering a
convenient and affordable alternative means of transport for short trips that
might otherwise have been made by car or walking; and (c) promoting a cycling
culture that can help build a sustainable and healthy city. Probably reflecting
the above, there were over 1 000 cities worldwide with bicycle-sharing
programmes in operation in 2017. These programmes involved a combined
fleet of over 4.5 million shared bicycles, up from that of less than
250 000 shared bicycles a decade ago. 4
1.4 The Panel on Transport has requested the Research Office to study
the bicycle-sharing systems in overseas places. This information note studies
the development of bicycle-sharing in Hong Kong, followed by a discussion of
the policy measures adopted by Singapore, London and Taipei to promote and
regulate the use of shared bicycles in a densely populated urban setting.
Singapore has embraced the privately operated dockless bicycles as part of
its transport ecosystem, whereas London and Taipei have made use
of publicly-funded docked bicycle-sharing services to encourage more people
to cycle.
2. Bicycle-sharing system in Hong Kong
2.1 In Hong Kong, a private operator pioneered the launch of dockless
bicycle-sharing services in April 2017, followed by the entry of several
competitors into the market in the ensuing months. Currently, there are
six dockless bicycle-sharing operators with a combined fleet of 18 000 shared
bicycles 5 . While dockless bicycles allow users greater convenience, the
operation of dockless bicycle-sharing system is not without problems.
According to the Government 6, individual operators launched their services in
urban areas in late 2017. Yet, the Government does not encourage the public
3
The "first mile" is the first part of the trip from a starting location (e.g. commuter's home) to
the start of the transportation network (e.g. a bus stop), whereas the "last mile" is the final leg
of trip connecting the end of the transportation network to the final destination
(e.g. commuter's workplace).
4
See International Transport Forum (2018b).
5
At the peak, there were seven dockless bicycle-sharing operators in Hong Kong. One major
operator announced the cessation of its operation in July 2018 due to losses and high
maintenance costs.
6
See GovHK (2018).
2to use bicycles as a mode of transport in urban areas due to road safety
considerations7. Coupled with the fact that there are no comprehensive cycle
tracks and on-street cycle spaces 8, the Transport Department does not support
the operators to promote dockless bicycle-sharing services in urban areas.
2.2 The launch of dockless bicycle-sharing services has also added to the
bicycle parking problems in Hong Kong. The Government has committed to
providing a bicycle-friendly environment in recent years to foster a green
community and facilitate the public to ride bicycles for short distance
commuting or leisure purposes 9. However, there are insufficient public and
private bicycle parking facilities, resulting in widespread illegal parking. From
1 January 2017 to 30 June 2018, a total of 84 668 notices on removal of
illegally parked bicycles were issued, and a total of 18 948 illegally parked
bicycles, of which about 2 051 were dockless bicycles, were removed.
2.3 The Government also received about 800 complaints relating to
dockless shared bicycles between April 2017 and July 2018. Some members
of the public have complained that (a) shared bicycles have occupied a large
number of public bicycle parking spaces, exacerbating the existing problem of
shortage of bicycle parking spaces; and (b) many shared bicycles are
indiscriminately parked in public places, causing obstruction to pedestrians.
2.4 In response, the Government is of the view that there is no
fundamental difference between dockless bicycle-sharing and conventional
bicycle rental services 10 in terms of their business nature, only that the
operators adopt different modes of operation. 11 Therefore, there is no
specific regulatory regime for dockless bicycle-sharing. Any dockless
bicycle-sharing programme is subject to existing legislative requirements,
including regulations in relation to the parking or placing of bicycles and safety
7
According to the Government, the traffic in urban areas of Hong Kong is generally very heavy,
with narrow and crowded roads, frequent on-street loading and unloading activities and many
vehicles passing by and needing to stop temporarily. See GovHK (2018).
8
There were 222.8 km of cycle tracks and 59 890 public bicycle parking spaces in Hong Kong as at
end-July 2018, of which 99% were in the New Territories.
9
For example, the Government has carried out improvement works in nine new towns in the
New Territories to build more public bicycle parking spaces and additional safety facilities at
some sharp bends, steep ramps and pedestrian crossings. As at June 2018, about 100 of the
900 potential improvement sites had completed their improvement works.
10
Users who use conventional bicycle rental services pick up or drop off their bicycles at
designated locations.
11
See GovHK (2018).
3requirements for bicycles 12. Government departments have also initiated law
enforcement actions to handle illegal parking of bicycles according to their
purviews. From 1 January 2017 to 30 June 2018, relevant departments have
conducted a total of 783 clearance operations against illegally parked bicycles.
2.5 Most recently, the Transport Department has implemented a code of
practice to promote self-regulatory and sustainable operation of dockless
bicycle-sharing in Hong Kong. 13 The code sets out various requirements for
dockless bicycle-sharing operators, including requiring them not to operate in
urban areas due to road safety considerations. Other requirements include:
(a) providing assistance to users through smartphone applications; (b) setting
up hotlines to handle enquiries and complaints effectively; and (c) sharing
operation data, including trip data, with the Government for analysis and
monitoring purposes.
3. Bicycle-sharing system in Singapore
3.1 Singapore has taken proactive steps towards sustainability with
efforts to develop an integrated and sustainable transport system in the city.
Singapore's Land Transport Master Plan, which was launched in 2008 and
updated in 2013 14, seeks to create a transport network with a high level of
multi-modal integration. While the focus is on greater accessibility to public
transport, the Master Plan also aims at making cycling and walking viable
modes for short journeys.
12
The relevant governing legislation includes the Road Traffic (Parking) Regulations (Cap. 374C),
the Land (Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 28), the Summary Offences Ordinance
(Cap. 228), the Road Traffic (Construction and Maintenance of Vehicles) Regulations (Cap. 374A),
and the Road Traffic (Traffic Control) Regulations (Cap. 374G).
13
In end-September 2018, four operators had voluntarily entered into a Memorandum of
Understanding ("MoU") with the Transport Department to the effect that they are committed to
complying with the code.
14
See UN Environment (2016).
43.2 Since the development of the Land Transport Master Plan, Singapore
has been working towards the goal of becoming a bicycle-friendly city 15. To
promote cycling activities, Singapore launched the National Cycling Plan in
2010 as the first strategic step to integrate cycling as an integral part of
Singapore's transport ecosystem and develop dedicated cycling routes for
recreational and commuting purposes.
3.3 In 2013, Singapore released an updated and ambitious
National Cycling Plan with the objective of building "a cyclist-friendly,
well-connected network providing safe and healthy cycling for all" by 2030.
The strategies developed include: (a) extending the cycling paths from 230 km
to over 700 km by 2030; (b) enhancing the cycling network connectivity and
convenience; and (c) developing a safe cycling culture through education and
programmes.
3.4 In a further effort to facilitate cycling, the Singapore government has
committed to building better bicycle parking facilities around MRT stations and
bus interchanges, as well as public housing estates, amenities, schools and
other places where there is demand. At present, there are about
174 000 bicycle parking lots in Singapore of which some 17 500 are provided at
MRT stations.
Dockless bicycle-sharing system
3.5 According to the Land Transport Authority ("LTA 16"), bicycle-sharing
system would complement the government's efforts to facilitate cycling and
improve the first and last mile connection to public transport nodes. 17
Bicycle-sharing would also be useful for those who wish to cycle but
do not own bicycles, or prefer the convenience of using shared bicycles for
one-way trips.
15
According to the Ministry of Transport, cycling is an environmentally-friendly mode of
transport for short-distance intra-town travel and journey to MRT stations and bus interchanges
for daily commute to work.
16
LTA is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport entrusted with planning, operating, and
maintaining land transport infrastructure and systems in Singapore.
17
See Land Transport Authority (2014).
53.6 In 2016, LTA planned to launch a docked bicycle-sharing scheme
backed by government grants. 18 However, the plan was subsequently
scrapped after several privately-funded dockless bicycle-sharing services
emerged in Singapore in early 2017. According to LTA 19, the entry of private
operators into the market has obviated the need for setting up a
publicly-funded bicycle-sharing system.
3.7 Dockless bicycle-sharing has expanded rapidly in Singapore since its
debut in early 2017. As at March 2018, there were six dockless
sharing-bicycle operators with an estimated combined fleet of
100 000 bicycles 20. However, indiscriminate parking of shared bicycles has
marred this positive development. The bicycle-sharing operators have
exacerbated the bicycle parking problem as they expanded their fleets too
quickly to capture the market share.
3.8 In October 2017, LTA, National Parks Board21 and Town Councils
signed a MoU with five bicycle-sharing operators in an effort to reduce
disamenities arising from bicycle-sharing services and improve public safety.
The MoU contains guidelines for encouraging responsible operation of
bicycle-sharing services in public spaces 22 and educating users on proper
parking and safe riding behaviours. In addition, LTA has also worked with
other public authorities to increase bicycle parking capacity by adding more
bicycle racks and designated bicycle parking zones 23 at MRT stations, bus
stops, public housing estates and parks. 24 It has also stepped up enforcement
actions to clear indiscriminately parked bicycles.25
18
LTA called a tender in July 2016 for an operator to build, own, operate and maintain a
bicycle-sharing system. To defray part of the costs, tenderers could bid for grants from LTA.
19
See Land Transport Authority (2017c).
20
See Lim (2018) and Ministry of Transport (2018b).
21
National Parks Board is a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development with the
responsibility of providing and enhancing the greenery of Singapore.
22
For example, operators are required to (a) remove indiscriminately parked shared bicycles
within half a day and faulty bicycles within a day; and (b) purchase public liability insurance for
users and victims of accidents caused by users.
23
These designated parking zones are demarcated by bright yellow lines and they are known as
"yellow boxes" in Singapore.
24
There are now about 174 000 public bicycle parking lots in Singapore, and LTA plans to provide
another 50 000 more by 2020.
25
Between mid-2017 and March 2018, LTA issued more than 2 100 removal notices and
collected about S$180,000 (HK$1.02 million) in fines and administrative fees from
bicycle-sharing operators.
6Licensing of bicycle-sharing operators
3.9 Notwithstanding the government's efforts, the problem of
indiscriminate bicycle parking persists. This prompted the Parliament of
Singapore to amend the Parking Places Act in March 2018 in a move to address
indiscriminate parking and allow sharing operations to grow in a more
sustainable manner. The Act has introduced a licensing system under which
dockless bicycle-sharing operators must apply for a licence and be licensed by
LTA. Licensed operators are allowed to operate in public spaces for up to
two years.
3.10 The licensing system, which came into force in October 2018 26 ,
contains three key features, namely (a) managing the size of each operator's
fleet; (b) giving LTA stronger regulatory levers to require operators to manage
indiscriminate parking; and (c) ensuring responsible user behaviour.
(A) Managing the size of each operator's fleet
3.11 The licensing system allows LTA to manage the size of each
operator's fleet by setting a maximum fleet size for each operator. LTA will
regularly review fleet sizes and allow operators who are able to manage
indiscriminate parking and show good utilization of their fleets to grow over
time, taking into account other relevant factors such as user demand and
availability of parking spaces.
(B) Giving LTA stronger regulatory levers to deal with
indiscriminate parking
3.12 LTA can take regulatory action against operators for breaches of
licensing conditions and industry-wide standards. These includes reducing
their fleet size, imposing financial penalties of up to S$100,000 (HK$565,000)
for each instance of non-compliance, suspension or revocation of licence.
26
Six out of seven applications for dockless bicycle-sharing operator licences received
in-principle approval from LTA in September 2018. They will receive their licences at
end-October 2018 after paying the licence fees to LTA.
7(C) Ensuring responsible user behaviour
3.13 Operators are required to take measures to ensure that their users
practise responsible parking. This includes the implementation of a QR code
geo-fencing solution where users must scan a unique QR code at the parking
location as proof of proper parking before they can end their trip. Operators
can continuously charge the users who park indiscriminately, until the latter
return the shared bicycle to a designated parking space. Operators are also
required to share data with each other on users who park indiscriminately for
the purpose of imposing a collective ban on recalcitrant users. An individual
user who has been determined to have parked indiscriminately at least
three times in a calendar year when renting from one or more operators will
be banned for up to one year from using all bicycle-sharing services.
4. Bicycle-sharing system in London
4.1 In London, former Mayor Boris Johnson announced the Mayor's
Vision for Cycling in London in 2013 to transform cycling in London by spending
£913 million (HK$9,176 million) on cycling lanes, bicycle parks and road
improvements over the next 10 years 27 . Incumbent Mayor Sadiq Khan
sets out the target of increasing the mode share 28 for cycling to at least 5% by
2026 in the current London Plan 2016 29. In order to achieve this target,
developments in all parts of London should meet the minimum standards for
cycle parking facilities set out in the London Plan 2016 30. In addition to the
efforts made by successive Mayors 31, the Transport for London ("TfL 32") has
been actively promoting cycling as an integral part of London's transport
27
The 10-year plan included constructing a connected network of cycle routes across London,
improving cycling safety at junctions, and encouraging more people travelling by bicycle.
28
Mode share can be defined as the share of people using a particular mode of transport
(including cycling and walking) within the overall transport usage of an urban area.
29
The London Plan 2016 is a strategic plan that maps out an integrated economic, environmental,
transport and social framework for the development of London over the next 20 to 25 years.
30
For example, a minimum of one short-stay cycle parking space for every 40 units must be
provided for residential developments in London.
31
Boris Johnson's predecessor, Ken Livingstone, also sought to improve cycling conditions in
London. Measures proposed included developing a network of routes for cyclists and
introducing a bicycle-sharing programme similar to the Vélib system in Paris.
32
TfL was established in 2000 as a local government body responsible for London's transport
system. Its role is to implement the Mayor's Transport Strategy and manage transport services
across London.
8system. TfL considers cycling a "very cost-effective form of mass transit" and
sets out a vision of achieving 1.5 million daily bicycle trips by 2026 that doubles
the figure in 2016.
4.2 As a result, London has seen increased provision of new cycling
infrastructures on streets over the past decade or so. Over 130 000 bicycle
parking spaces had been delivered by TfL and its delivery partners between
2008 and 2016. 33 London has also developed a series of new cycle networks,
including Cycle Superhighways and Quietways, to cater for different cyclists.
Cycle Superhighways are segregated cycle routes on main roads, designed to
give more experienced cyclists a quicker way from outer London into and
across central London. For Quietways, they are largely un-segregated routes
on lower traffic backstreets across London and target less experienced cyclists
or those who want to cycle at a slower pace.
4.3 According to the Mayor's Transport Strategy 34, making cycling easy
and convenient for everyone is also about making it as simple as possible to
get access a cycle. The Cycle Hire Scheme 35 – a docked bicycle-sharing
programme – was launched by TfL in July 2010 to make cycling more accessible,
thereby broadening the appeal of cycling in London.
Docked bicycle-sharing programme
4.4 The Cycle Hire Scheme is a pubic self-service bicycle-sharing
programme aiming to provide people with an inexpensive and convenient way
of making short trips around London. At any time of the day or night, users
can hire a bicycle from one of London's hundreds of docking stations and
return it to any docking station for a fee 36. Docking stations are typically
about 400 m apart, located off main roads, near tourist attractions, in parks,
and at underground and overground railway stations.
33
See London Assembly Transport Committee (2018a).
34
See Greater London Authority (2018).
35
It is also known as the "Santander Cycles" after its current sponsor. Previously, it was called
"Barclays Cycles" after its former sponsor. The scheme was also commonly referred to as the
"Boris Bike" after the former Mayor Boris Johnson at the time the scheme was launched.
36
It costs £2 (HK$20) to access the bicycles for 24 hours, and the first 30 minutes of each journey
are free. Longer journeys cost £2 (HK$20) for each extra 30 minutes. In other words, a rider
can use a bicycle as many times as he or she likes for free and only pays the £2 (HK$20) access
charge as long as each journey is under 30 minutes.
94.5 The Cycle Hire Scheme is currently operated by a service company for
TfL. The service contractor provides and maintains shared bicycles, and
distributes them between docking stations to maximize their availability to
users. The scheme is financed by incomes from the scheme, government
subsidy and private sponsorship 37 . According to the latest information
available 38 , it incurred a total operating expenditure of £21.35 million
(HK$214.57 million) in 2016-2017, which was covered by customer income
(51.5%), private sponsorship (29.9%), funding from TfL (17.0%) and other
income (1.6%).
4.6 At its launch in 2010, the Cycle Hire Scheme comprised a mere
5 000 bicycles located at 315 docking stations throughout central London.
The scheme has extended to all areas of London since then, and there are now
750 docking stations and 11 500 bicycles in circulation across London.
In 2017, more than 10.3 million journeys were made using the scheme, nearly
five times the number of journeys in 2010.
Dockless bicycle-sharing programmes
4.7 In July 2017, seven years after the launch of the Cycle Hire Scheme, a
private operator introduced the first dockless bicycle-sharing services in
east London. Since then, several similar services have been operating in
different boroughs of London. Currently, two of the most active operators
together provide an estimated 7 000 bicycles in different boroughs of London.
4.8 While acknowledging the potential of dockless bicycle-sharing system
to make cycling more accessible and attractive to people in London, TfL
considers it essential that any bicycle hire initiatives do not have a negative
impact on other cyclists, road users and pedestrians or result in unlawful
highway obstruction. Yet, there have been reports of disruptions of dockless
bicycles to street environments, e.g. bicycles were left in inappropriate places,
blocking pedestrians and other road users 39.
37
TfL signed a seven-year sponsorship contract with Santander in 2015. The contract gives
the sponsor exclusive naming rights in return for its contribution of (a) a £6.25 million
(HK$62.81 million) annual fee and (b) a £1 million (HK$10.05 million) a year "activation fund" to
attract more members and encourage greater use of the bicycle, particularly among families.
38
See Transport for London (2018a).
39
See London Assembly Transport Committee (2018b).
104.9 In September 2017, TfL in collaboration with London's boroughs
issued a code of practice for dockless bicycle-sharing services with a variety of
requirements governing the operators. For example, service operators must
ensure that their bicycles will not cause nuisance or obstruction through the
use of geo-fencing or other means. They are also subject to other
requirements such as:
(a) meeting safety standards for their bicycles and having robust
maintenance regimes;
(b) promptly removing any bicycles causing an obstruction;
(c) sharing anonymized trip data with highway authorities to help
them enhance the cycling network; and
(d) offering 24-hour communication channels for customers,
including a telephone number.
4.10 In addition to the code of practice, some boroughs also require
dockless bicycle sharing operators to enter into MoUs which set out in detail
the way in which the operators roll out their services. 40 Nevertheless, the
London Assembly Transport Committee calls for establishment of a tougher
licensing system to regulate the bicycle-sharing market. According to the
committee, the number of operators should be set in order to allow for
competition while avoiding an excessive number of unused bicycles being left
to clutter pavements and roads. Meanwhile, London Councils 41 is also
exploring the potential for a London-wide byelaw that would enable
the licensing of dockless bicycle-sharing operators, in recognition of the
current lack of regulatory powers for local authorities to regulate dockless
bicycle-sharing services.
40
According to Financial Times (2018), some operators had reportedly called for a London-wide
permit so as to avoid time-consuming negotiations with each of London's 32 boroughs.
41
London Councils is a cross-party organization that represents London's 32 borough councils and
the City of London.
115. Bicycle-sharing system in Taipei
5.1 Taipei has prided itself on being an environmentally friendly city, with
the vision to develop a green and shared transport system characterized by the
integration of various transport modes to boost mobility. In particular,
walking and cycling are promoted as the first mile and last mile connection to
public transport modes.
5.2 In recent years, the Taipei government has introduced a number of
measures to facilitate cycling, including the implementation of a public
bicycle-sharing service known as "YouBike" to encourage more people to use
bicycles as short-distance transit vehicles. New cycling infrastructures have
also been added onto the streets to promote and encourage more people to
cycle. For example, Taipei's total length of cycling network more than
doubled from 120 km in 2009 to the current 391 km, comprising 87 km of
dedicated bicycle lanes and 304 km of dual-use pavement allowing cyclists to
share the lanes with pedestrians. There were also 39 743 bicycle parking lots
at end-2017, increasing visibly from 17 770 at end-2009.
5.3 Most recently, Taipei's Department of Transportation released the
White Paper on Transportation Policy of Taipei (臺 北 市 交 通 政 策 白 皮 書 )
in February 2018 setting out, among other things, a target of increasing the
mode share for green transport from 60.4% in 2016 to 66.8% in 2020.
Another target is to increase the number of bicycles rented through YouBike
from 18.4 million times to 25.0 million times over the same period.
Docked bicycle-sharing system
5.4 In Taipei, YouBike operates an electronic unmanned automated
management system that enables users to rent a bicycle from a docking station
and return it to another for a fee. Launched in 2009, YouBike initially saw
small number of daily users due to the lack of both bicycles for rent and
docking stations to return the bicycles. This prompted the Taipei government
to tender for a new contractor in 2011, and signed a seven-year
build-operate-transfer contract at NT$268 million (HK$70 million) with a
bicycle manufacturer in the same year.
125.5 Under the contract, the service contractor is responsible for
operating the bicycle-sharing programme, which includes installing docking
stations, providing bicycles, redistributing bicycles from a full station to empty
stations and providing customer services. YouBike turned around in 2013 and
has made profit since then, attributable to improvement measures such as
lowering the bicycle rental rates and adding more docking stations and bicycles
near MRT 42 stations and bus stops.
5.6 Currently, YouBike offers the first and last mile connection to MRT,
which has been the backbone of Taipei's transport system with the support of
extensive bus services. There are now 400 docking stations and some
13 100 bicycles in circulation across Taipei, and many docking stations are
located by MRT lines and major trip generation spots (e.g. bus stops and
tourist destinations) 43 . Coupled with the low cost of renting a YouBike
bicycle 44, the number of bicycles rented through YouBike increased to a high of
22 million times in 2017. The figure represents a significant increase from
about one million times in 2012 when YouBike was overhauled with the plan of
adding more docking stations and bicycles.
Dockless bicycle-sharing programme
5.7 The booming bicycle-sharing market attracted the entry of the first
dockless bicycle-sharing operator into Taipei in April 2017, and the number of
its dockless bicycles had reportedly totaled 7 000 one year after commencing
operation45. Similar to the cases of Singapore and London, the introduction
of the dockless bicycle-sharing programme in Taipei has brought with it the
issue of illegal or prolonged occupation of public bicycle parking spaces by
dockless bicycles.
42
Taipei MRT, also known as Taipei Mass Rapid Transit or Taipei Metro, is a rapid transit system
serving the metropolis Taipei and New Taipei City.
43
According to the guidelines published by Taipei's Department of Transportation
in 2015 (105 年 公 共 自 行 車 租 賃 站 設 置 準 則 ), docking stations installed from
2016 should be at least 100-450m apart from each other, preferably to be located close to
MRT stations and bus stops.
44
Currently, the standard rental rate is NT$10 (HK$2.6) per 30 minutes within the first four hours,
NT$20 (HK$5.2) per 30 minutes for the next four to eight hours, and NT$40 (HK$10.4)
per 30 minutes after the first eight hours. Taipei's city government subsidizes half of the cost
of the first 30 minutes of every trip, meaning that users actually pay NT$5 (HK$1.3) to rent the
bicycles for the first 30 minutes.
45
See《聯 合 報 》 (2018).
135.8 Currently, there is no specific regulatory regime for dockless bicycles
in Taipei, which are regulated together with docked bicycles by the existing
regulations and legislation. For example, the Road Traffic Management and
Penalty Act (道 路 交 通 管 理 處 罰 條 例 ) sets out provisions regulating the
slowing-moving vehicles that include pedal-powered bicycles like docked and
dockless bicycles. Likewise, docked and dockless bicycle operators alike are
required by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to set out
mandatory provisions in their bicycle rental terms and conditions. 46
Operators that do not comply with the requirement may face a fine of up to
NT$300,000 (HK$78,600).
5.9 In addition, the Regulations Governing Road Traffic Safety (道 路
交 通 安 全 規 則 ) requires cyclist to park in the bicycle racks and designated
parking areas. In locations where no parking spaces are allocated for bicycles,
riders can park their bicycles in the scooter parking spaces. Yet, there have
been complaints of dockless bicycles taking up the already scarce scooter
parking space in Taipei. Against this, Taipei's Department of Transportation
reached an agreement with a dockless operator47 in mid-2017, under which
the latter will remove its bicycles within an hour if they are illegally parked or
staying for prolonged period in the public parking spaces. A tougher rule
subsequently came into force in August 2017 with eight districts in Taipei
prohibiting bicycles from being parked in paid parking lots for scooters and
requiring violators to pay a towing fee.
5.10 Most recently, the Taipei City Shared Modes Industry Management
Regulations (臺 北 市 共 享 運 具 經 營 業 管 理 自 治 條 例 ) was passed in
August 2018 requiring both docked and dockless bicycle-sharing operators to
obtain a permit to operate their services. The permit scheme is set to
commence as early as November 2018, creating a set of rules to regulate the
operators through measures such as designated service areas, requirement for
payment of permit fees and security deposits, a cap on the number of vehicles
deployed, and fines and penalties for violations 48.
46
These provisions aim to protect consumer interests and avoid disputes between consumers and
operators, covering items such as rental rates and charging methods, coverage of insurance, age
and height requirements for users, and duty to comply with the relevant traffic regulations.
See Bicycle Rental Finalization Contract (自 行 車 租 賃 定 型 化 契 約 應 記 載 及 不 得 記 載
事 項 ).
47
Taipei has so far only one privately-funded dockless bicycle-sharing operator in the city.
48
Operators may be liable to a fine of up to NT$100,000 (HK$26,200) or revocation of permit for
breach of the provisions.
146. Concluding remarks
6.1 Cycling is increasingly recognized as a sustainable mode of transport
which offers environmental benefits for the cities that promote it. All the
overseas places studied have adopted transport policies that promote the use
of bicycles in urban areas, particularly as a convenient and affordable means to
make short trips and provide the first mile and last mile connection to public
transport modes. In Hong Kong, the Government has committed to providing
a bicycle-friendly environment. However, it does not encourage the public to
use bicycles as a mode of transport in urban areas due to road safety
considerations.
6.2 All the overseas places studied have committed to improving their
cycle tracks and bicycle parking facilities in urban areas in an effort to facilitate
cycling. For example, London and Taipei have each built a comprehensive
cycling network with dedicated bicycle lanes, while Singapore has committed
to extend its cycling path citywide from 230 km in 2013 to over 700 km by
2030. Taipei also more than doubled its bicycle parking lots over the past
decade or so. In comparison, the Hong Kong Government has focused on
carrying out improvement works in nine new towns in the New Territories,
featuring building more public bicycle parking spaces and additional safety
facilities at some sharp bends, steep ramps and pedestrian crossings.
6.3 All the overseas places studied have made use of bicycle-sharing
system to make it as simple as possible for people to get access to a bicycle,
thereby further broadening the appeal of cycling. Taipei and London
introduced a publicly-funded docked bicycle-sharing system in 2009 and
2010 respectively. They have experienced increased popularity of
bicycle-sharing services in recent years, thanks to the low cost of renting a
shared bicycle and the practice of locating docking stations along the transport
stations. In contrast, there is no publicly-funded docked bicycle-sharing
system in Singapore and Hong Kong, and shared bicycles have been provided
by private dockless bicycle-sharing operators in these two cities.
156.4 All the overseas places studied saw the launch of dockless
bicycle-sharing services in 2017. While dockless bicycles allow riders greater
convenience, the operation of dockless bicycle-sharing system is not without
problems. Of particular concern is the indiscriminate parking of dockless
bicycles in public places that causes obstruction to pedestrians and other road
users. Similar to Hong Kong, all the overseas places studied have
implemented one or more of the following measures to address the
obstruction caused by the shared bicycles: issuing a code of practice, entering
into MOUs with service operators, and/or stepping up enforcement actions.
They have also planned for or implemented a licensing regime to regulate the
operation of dockless bicycle-sharing services with the objective of enabling
dockless bicycles to grow in a sustainable manner and maximizing benefits of
it.
6.5 London Councils is exploring the potential for a London-wide byelaw
that would enable the licensing of dockless bicycle-sharing operators.
Singapore has moved ahead with the adoption of a licensing system in
October 2018 to regulate dockless bicycle-sharing operators. Likewise,
Taipei plans to introduce a permit system in November 2018 under which both
docked and dockless bicycle-sharing operators are required to obtain a permit
to operate their services.
Prepared by Samantha LAU
Research Office
Information Services Division
Legislative Council Secretariat
15 October 2018
Tel: 2871 2143
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Information Notes are compiled for Members and Committees of the Legislative Council. They are not legal or other
professional advice and shall not be relied on as such. Information Notes are subject to copyright owned by The
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made stating the Research Office of the Legislative Council Secretariat as the source and one copy of the reproduction is
sent to the Legislative Council Library. The paper number of this issue of Information Note is IN02/18-19.
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